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Church Stretton Geography Trip (55 images)

Hi All, Year 11 students had a fantastic time at Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park yesterday. They ice skated, visited the Magical Ice Kingdom and had an evening at the circus. They were also fortunate to see lots of street theatre and performance artists throughout the park. We even bumped into an actress from EastEnders who gave them some career advice and posed for pictures!

Year 11 students visited London on Saturday 24th November to explore where laws and decisions that effect Britain originate from. After a short talk on Reform Acts by Parliament, students made their way to Downing Street, stopping off at the Cenotaph and paying their respects. Student and staff were denied access to Downing Street due to a protest on climate change. Protesters were outside the gates of Downing Street and the police informed staff that the street was 'on lockdown'. Downing Street were extremely helpful and after an hour later than scheduled, access was granted. Students enjoyed taking in what the capital city had to offer, visiting Leicester Square and Covent Garden before return to the academy safely. We hope they had an enjoyable time.

Last week, OSCA took 42 students to Brittany - France for 5 days.
In their time there, students had the opportunity to visit the historical towns of Dinan and Saint-Malo, the seaside towns of Cancale and Dinard and the magnificent Mont Saint-Michel. They also had the opportunity to practise their French and discover more about the French culture.
The students' behaviour was fantastic and we all had an amazing time.

Our year 10 sport science students went on a trip to Loughborough university yesterday to see what the day in a life of a sport science student at university would be like.
The students had a great time and their behaviour was impeccable.

As you will be aware, at the end of last half term OSCA took 33 students to the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores for 5 days.
In our time there students had the opportunity to visit volcanoes, a geothermal power stations a lava tube, geothermally heated pools and trekked through the sub-tropical forest.
The students behaviour was fantastic and a brilliant time was had by all.

Last night (12th March '18) OSCA Year 7 and 8 students went to watch a vitality super league netball fixture between current UK champions Wasps and their local rivals Severn Stars.
The students were impeccably behaved throughout and were extremely excited at the experience provided where they got to spectate a sport taught on the curriculum at its best level, played by semi professional female role models and some international Netball players. Students embraced all activities of the evening and saw WASPS win their seventh game in a row. A fantastic evening had by all.

Yesterday 9 Year 9 Students embarked on an Aimhigher Trip to Aston Hall.
The 9 students have recently completed an 8 week Aimhigher Coaching Programme, taught by a student from Birmingham City University. The project aimed to develop their independent living skills, and yesterdays trip was the culmination to celebrate all their hard work.
Across the course of the project, the students got to plan their day - deciding where they would go, how they would get there, and ultimately, how they would spend their budget. The students settled on Aston Hall, planned a public transport route from OSCA to to the venue (on foot, buses and trains), and then decided on a £5 lunch budget to spend at Tesco's after our tour.
Students enjoyed catching public transport (one hadn't been on a train since they were 6), taking ownership of their day, engaging with the Aston Hall Tour, but most importantly, choosing their lunch. Notably - Tinotenda, who managed to spend exactly £5.00 on an absolute stash of food!!
All in all we had a great day, and I think it was a really valuable opportunity for these students to practice some of the skills they've been focusing on during the project. Students behaviour was impeccable throughout, a real credit to the school.

Once again OSCA students have done a great job at representing the academy, this time by engaging in an interactive day surrounding pathways into design and engineering.
Students from Y8-Y11 visited WSP today, one of Europe’s largest design and engineering firms. Here they took part in practical sessions in which they planned and ‘built’ their own school. First students had to decide on the location, taking into account geographical factors and plotting the catchment areas of other schools. They then got to experiment by budgeting for and building their own drainage system with straws and connectors (many a leak seen). Students built their structures by purchasing supplies (straws and Sellotape) to see who could build the most stable structure to hold the most weight. The winning team (Cordelia Collins, Jessica Brueton, Amit Singh, David Lengert, and Thomas Bennett) built a TWO story structure that could hold six Twixes (more impressive than it sounds) - see picture.
The students behaviour and engagement in the sessions was impeccable, and all seemed to really enjoy it. We’ve left with a better understanding of the different stages involved in town planning and careers in architectural engineering!
I hope you get to hear about it from the students themselves. The trip should be featuring on The Newscast next week!

On Wednesday 24th January ten Year 11 students started their My Tutor online programme, a fantastic opportunity fully funded through our partnership Aim Higher and our NCOP Programme. MyTutor has matched our students with high-performing online tutors to reinforce classwork in a specific subject. Each session is a face-to-face video chat with their tutor. The lessons are live so they can go at their own pace and ask questions, a great thing too is that the sessions are recorded and students can playback the sessions whenever they wish to consolidate learning.
Each week the students will have a one hour session in S16 with their online tutor where they can have the opportunity to ..
Explore their subject in greater detail;
Go over topics they might not have fully understood in class;

On Thursday 18th Jan, 24 of our fantastic Year 9 students attended the Brilliant Club Launch Trip to New College - Oxford University, to start their Scholars Programme.
Throughout the day they attend both an IAG and study skills session before engaging in their very first tutorial based upon two supra curricula; "Pain, neuroscience and a good excuse to electrocute people" and "The Renaissance and its legacy: beauty, genius and revolution". The students additionally received a tour and was utterly inspired by the university, the undergraduate students and the overwhelming beautiful environment. It was an absolute pleasure to finally hear our students say "Yes, I am going for Oxford!!" with complete self-belief and confidence!
The students were a credit to the Academy, not only from their impeccable behaviour but also from their participation. They had a brilliant time broadening their horizons, whilst also taking lots of pictures in the Harry Potter hot spots!

On Thursday 21st December, 20 boys from years 7-10 took part in a street dance workshop to develop their knowledge of the dance style and improve some dance skills. The afternoon was extremely successful with all the boys enjoying themselves and developing an understanding of street dance's importance within the performing arts sector. They were a credit to the academy and all performed fantastically.

The newly appointed House Council members met with the Principal Ms McMahon to discuss a range of issues. They are now busy working through their action plan to deliver some of the promises they made to get elected.

OSCA has been asked to be a pilot school for a new award being offered by the Youth Sports Trust. The Youth Support Award (YSA) is an award that promotes the importance of being physically active and how it is beneficial to physical and mental well-being. It also provides students with the opportunities to develop personal skills through voluntary leadership opportunities.
A selection of year 8 students have spent a morning working with former Olympian and World champion Daniel Caines as part of this award. Students have been developing skills and participating in a range of practical workshops to promote valuable life skills and learning the importance of the role of students within the Youth Sport Trust schemes being offered to academies around the country.
We are privileged to have the opportunity to work with Daniel again who visited us last year as part of the Sky sports Living For Sport scheme.

Thirty year 9 students went to Edgbaston Cricket Ground for OSCA's very first Broadening Horizon Aim Higher trip!
We arrived at 9:30am where students were immediately inspired by Errol Lawson who not only taught them to be courageous but to also be exceptional. "If it's meant to be, its up to me!"
Our students were extremely attentive where Haider ended the Q&A session with a fantastic question on how Errol started his own business and the advise he would give to other young entrepreneurs.
Students then took part in a Careers Carousel and an Assessment Day Centre where they gained an insight into the huge range of career options as well as the application process and the importance of key competencies such as commercial awareness, communication and time management.
It was a fantastic day full of interactive and practical activities where our students were impeccably behaved, showed the most potential and won several competitions! Overall, the trip was a huge success as it helped our students develop motivation and inspiration to succeed in the future.

On Thursday 11th May, Team PE ran a trip for 43 year 7 and 8 students to Loughborough University. The trip was to show our sporting enthusiasts and those students who are looking at sport as a career, the opportunities that are available to them when they move onto further education and it also aimed to open their minds as to the possible career paths that could be taken in the world of sport (from elite athletes, to coaching, event marketing and scientific research). They were given a tour of the university by current athletes based at the university before working with a sports scientist to create their own energy drinks. They finished with some practical sessions where they were led by coaches in a range of activities. All students behaved impeccably and demonstrated real enthusiasm and interest throughout the day (they were a little shell shocked by the size of the campus and what was available to them!).

A fantastic Enterprise Day on eco-awareness. Some ingenious ideas, including an OSCA smart app that informs students which items can be recycled and where the nearest recycling bin is within the Academy - watch this space Apple!
Congratulations to all the finalists and our overall winning team "Emerald World". Lara, Amy, Paige and Kristabel who will be visiting A.F. Blakemore's Recycling Centre.

On Friday 10th February, 36 students visited London to be awed and inspired by what the Capital city has achieved politically, economically, and culturally.
They explored several museums before visiting key landmarks such as the House of Parliament, the Ministry of Defense and the Cenotaph. They even had the opportunity to walk down Downing Street, where they were less than a metre from the very prestigious (and shiny!) number 10 door. Unfortunately, as one of our students asked, Theresa May was not in!!
By then it was only 3pm! So they continued their journey to inspire the students, by visiting the National Gallery, Leicester Square and Covent Garden where the students experienced the heartbeat of London City.
Despite the jam packed day, the lovely weather of rain and snow, and over 15,000 steps of walking, the students were super stars and an absolute credit to the school!

On Saturday afternoon, cast members of the forthcoming production of Aladdin performed a selection of songs from the show at Tesco in Dudley.
Students sang with confidence and true OSCA sprit, some having never performed in public before. They even gave a sneak preview of the show's costumes, much to the delight of staff, parents and shoppers. Their behaviour was outstanding and really did us and themselves proud.

On Friday 13th - Sunday 15th January the cast of Aladdin went on a residential trip to Ingestre Hall. Whilst there, they rehearsed the show in the picturesque building and spent some time team-building and getting to know each other a little bit more. Here are some photos of the weekend.

Matei (Year 10) and Niamh (Year 9) went to The University of Sheffield yesterday. They both took part in the Final of the STEM G & T competition. Both did extremely well and worked so hard during the activity.
The activity they had to do was programme a robot to perform certain tasks and go through a certain pathway. This programme was designed for undergraduate students, both students have no previous knowledge of mechanical engineering so both did wonderfully under the circumstances. At times the activity was frustrating, however both showed resilience and carried and never gave up even when there was a countdown at the end.
They both enjoyed the day and worked well within a team even interacting with students from different schools. Both students were a credit to the academy and were brilliantly behaved.

Students at OSCA were given the opportunity to come face to face with one of Britains top runners on Wednesday 4th January when former Olympian and World Champion Daniel Caines visited the academy.
Daniel visited the academy as part of the Sky Sports Living for Sport initiative, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sports Trust and organised by OSCA PE department, to promote the use of lifelong and interpersonal skills, not just in sport but in preparation for futures ahead.
Students in years 7 to 9 took the opportunity to listen to Daniel's journey from a potentially career ending injury to becoming one of Great Britain's top runners over 400m in assemblies, whilst PE and Sport students from years 10 and 11 participated in 'keys to success' workshops led by Daniel, who is an athlete mentor for the Sky sports scheme. Daniel also met with the academy Sports Council to offer advice and provide ideas and ways to use student voice as a tool in creating partnerships across the academy and within the local community.
The day was a huge success

OSCA's Festive Feast
On Friday 9th Dec after school OSCA had two groups (Makoni's Kitchen and Festive Feast Planning Committee) host their Festive Feast Christmas dinner.
Niahm, Holly, Zanib, Abbie, Amy, Sanpreet, Hayat, Hope, Noor, Harsimran, and Isabel cooked a fantastic dinner - catering for 50 people!
They worked from 11:00am - 2:20pm preparing the massive feast under the superb direction of Mrs. Makoni , Miss Alu, and Mrs. Chambers and did not disappoint!
Upon the bell at 1:20pm, Sara, Simran, Aamnah, Simran, Kimran, Arashdeep, Samranjeet and Davina (also assisted by Demi and Heather) managed to dress the chairs and tables and transform O9/O10 into a warm yet vibrant festive hall.
The relatives and friends of the cooking team, 10 guests from Warren's Hall elderly home, and a selection of staff joined the students for their feast. The dinner stretched on to nearly 5pm with students stopping even later to ensure everything was tidied so that we could be back to business Monday morning.
Happy Holidays - may your holiday season be filled with the kindness and energy that was present on Friday.

On Saturday 5th of November, 3 of the pupils currently fundraising for the 2017 Peru expedition, met up with pupils from Ormiston Forge to take part in a sponsored abseil. They encountered freezing winds, spectacular scenery and conquered great heights! It was also an opportunity to work on their physical fitness in preparation for their 5 day trek through the Andes next summer. They completed this feet of bravery and endurance at Trevor Quarry Rocks near Llangollen. A great time was had by all and new friendships made. We now can't wait for the expedition to start!

On Wednesday 2nd November OSCA's year 11 Historians visited Warwick Castle. They got scared in the dungeons, watched a live bird of prey show and had private tours of the castle's key features all in preparation for their Controlled Assessment. They were a credit to the Academy and collected lots of key data and primary evidence. We wish them all luck as they prepare to compete their History Controlled Assessment over the next few weeks.

OSCA Year 7's went to Conkers in Derbyshire for a team building day.
The exercises included orienteering, low and high ropes and bush craft (building and lighting fires). They worked in groups to build their own shelter.

On Monday 18th July, OSCA's MFL Team took twenty one of their French ambassadors to experience a three course meal in a French restaurant. They were all superbly behaved, all enjoyed their food at the French Hen and we were even treated to dessert in the garden.

On Friday 15th July OSCA students were involved in the last calendared L4S day. These days are important to ensure that students receive PSHE lessons that are catered for their age and stage within their school life. A great day had by all with our external visitors being very impressed with the work ethic and conduct that our students displayed during the day. Year group focus:
Year 7 - Students raising their awareness of our natural environment and the importance of being eco friendly. Looking at how changes in our climate are effecting our British wildlife and ways in which we could encourage more wildlife into our gardens.These workshops were accompanied by the annual visit by the animal man, where students get up close and personal with a variety of insects, reptiles and other animals.
Year 8 - Math's & ICT enterprise challenge was introduced to our year 8 students. They had to design and create an educational numeracy games geared towards students in year 6. Some of the ideas are the day were amazing and could have been marketable.
Year 9 - A day that focused on Respect. Students work on a rotational basis moving around to different lessons workshops. Respecting others, self respect and safety/risks were all main topics of the day. Our year 9 students had the chance to work with our local Policeman Hughie Treasure who came into the Academy to talk about Knife Crime, the risks and making the right decisions.
Year 10 - Readiness for work experience this week. On Friday our year 10 students really got to grips with transferable skills that are important in any working environment. Communication etiquette, writing that winning CV, skills and how to use them proactively and a workshop geared around apprenticeships and traineeships so our students are more aware of what is out there when they leave. Employer engagement was also a key strand to the day, our students were joined by representatives from the RAF to discuss their job roles and skills req

The science visit to RAF Cosford – Wed 22 June
It was a slightly overcast day as the students calmly walked out onto the apron (car park) to look at the crate (coach) and assess it (pick the best seats). After boarding, fastening their harnesses (seat belts) and climbing to a height of 1.76 meters they prepared for the journey by checking the instruments (battery life of phone, headphones etc). They then settled down for the first flypast (flyover on the motorway). After many flypasts and stalling manoeuvres (traffic lights etc) they arrived at the airfield and prepared to land (get off the coach). The first activity was to design and build a jet car (model) which they did with typical OSCA enthusiasm, completing the design as if they had designed many such cars. During the day the students had hands on experience via many of the exhibits and got the chance to see first-hand, many different types of military and flying related hardware. The students were able to conduct their own self-guided tour of the hangers and outdoor exhibits until it was time to board the air bus (coach), hit the auto pilot button (headphones on) and return.
The students were a credit to themselves, the science department and the school. The trip was arranged by Miss Bano and accompanied by Miss Cheung and Mr Tiso.

On Wednesday 18th May 2016, 24 year 9 students travelled to The University of Warwick where they successfully graduated from The Brilliant Club 2016.
There were some stellar results among our cohort with five students passing with Distinction. Students behaviour on the trip was exemplary and their achievement as a whole is a testimony to their dedication to succeed.

On the 19th May 2016 all Year 9 students at OSCA have worked with Jade from Brook on SRE topics, body image & FGM. A great session in our PSHE curriculum that students have enjoyed when working on very important and current issues in today's society.
Students evidenced a great understanding of the subject matters being discussed through some great questions asked by our students and brilliant responses to questions asked of them. Jade who led the sessions was really impressed with the groups and all the work that they produced. Well done Year 9!

Four year 7 student's went to the University of Birmingham to participate in the Salters Chemistry Festival. The day consisted of two challenges and demonstrations. The first round was to solve the murder investigation and the second round was a mystery university challenge. Although we didn't win the students enjoyed their time and tried their best and comments were made on their excellent team work skills and scientific enquiry. So a big well done to Isabelle, Isabelle, Thomas and Parm.

Thirty Year 10 students went to The University of Warwick to experience a day of workshops and lectures on Maths and Beyond. It was a fantastic day where students were able to see how Maths is applicable, the different careers available, as well as experience some A Level material on imaginary numbers!
The students were a credit to the Academy with impeccable behaviour and a can do attitude! They were fully engaged, active in all workshops and were not afraid of volunteering in a lecture theatre full of students from other schools :)
I want to say a big thank you to Kiran for accompanying me on this trip!
From a proud Maths teacher!

Today we went to the Wolverhampton University to participate in the National Year 10 Mathematics Feast to compete against other schools in the region. This incorporated good and effective collaboration that was needed to complete A level mathematic questions within a set time limit. We competed against Grammar schools and other academies located in the West Midlands, which we convincingly won the competition.
The math feast consisted of five different rounds. The starter as a true and false round. This was shortly followed by the amuse-bouche, which was a round based upon countdown. We then moved onto the main, this was a comprehension round in which we answered a lot of different questions based upon complex numbers. We won this round as well as the overall competition. We then moved onto the dessert round, which entailed an investigation into pentominoes. The final round was petits-fours. This was a relay round which we answered bursts of questions that each had four parts.
We won the overall competition, beating eight teams in total. This was a great experience and we enjoyed competing in it thoroughly.
Charlotte
Charlotte
Callum
Arundeep

On Thursday 17th March 30 year 8 students enjoyed their time at The Big Bang Fair. The students were well behaved and enjoyed the event. The students were involved with all aspects of the event. They were a credit to the academy.

On Thursday 11th of February 90 year 11 students took The Birmingham Rep by storm and enjoyed a stunning performance of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Students were excellently behaved and received many compliments from members of the public who said they were a "credit" to our academy.

On Friday 11th March OSCA students and staff had our annual Business & Enterprise challenge. This years focus was to design, plan and market a Music Festival. A successful day had by all that were involved and students produced some wonderful work that reflected their creative imaginations, business sense and the skills of running an event from a financial aspect. We had 7 external visitors from financial working job roles including Barclays bank who went round to work with our students on this task and judge their work to announce an overall winning team. Our visitors were really impressed with the work ethic our students displayed throughout the day.
The challenge also had a competitive edge with houses going head to head against one another with 1 team representing each house in a Dragons Den type final. The results from the day were:
1st place - Dahl house
2nd place - Shakespeare house
3rd place - Da Vinci house
4th place - Picasso house
Great job to all our students on a busy yet important day were they showcased their strengths in job roles and growing knowledge of work related learning.

On Friday 4th March the DofE cooking skills group served a high tea to Governors and select members of staff. The group consisted of 12 boys and one girl from our year 10 cohort.
They created all the elements you would expect of a high tea (little crustless sandwiches, swiss rolls, Victorian sponge cake, scones, etc.). They had to decorate the meeting room and serve their guests.
Each member of the team worked exceptionally hard and presented themselves well.
Thank you to Ms. Makoni, Ms. Chambers, Ms. Fowkes, and Ms Vickers for cooking with the kids and helping set up.
Thank you to all who were in attendance as well. Your support is much appreciated and the students were very proud to have served you all.
A huge well done to:
B Singh
J Barnbrock
J Sims
H Cotton
L Thomas
K Ogunsakin
I Williams
N Kinxhi
T Baker
C Sutherland
A Ewim
O Downing
J Hill

Round Midnight theatre group attended OSCA on Thursday 3rd March to work with our Year 9 students. The theatre group performed a play titles “Follow Me”. This performance focuses on extreme ideas and situations that teenagers could face in modern Britain and linking this to current topics of extremism and radicalisation.
Our Year 9’s were a credit and fully understood the concepts and messages they were being relayed in the performance. Well done to all involved.

On Monday 29th February, 24 year 9 students went to Nottingham University's Sutton Bonington Campus to embark on their studies as part of the Brilliant Club. They met their PhD tutors and were exceptionally well behaved during a campus tour. Check back soon for some photos of their in school tutorial sessions!

Year 11 students have been preparing for their devised performance as part of Unit 2 of their GCSE. They have to create an original drama based around a picture stimulus.
The performances created have explored war, depression, bullying and the media representation of women.

A really enjoyable day was had by all staff and pupils at Edgmond hall. The teamwork and attitude shown by all pupils during the various team building activities was excellent. Please see the pictures below of den building!

OSCA Brilliant Club students had a great day yesterday in Oxford. The students had a fantastic opportunity to consider what it would be like to live and study in Oxford and they asked loads of brilliant questions. They also came close to having cameo performances in 'Lewis' which was being filmed when they were there!

Languages and Sports Day organized at Birmingham University.
On Friday 19th June, 15 Year 8 students took part in the Languages and Sports Day organized at Birmingham University.
In the morning they studied Portuguese and Japanese. Amongst other things they learnt how to introduce themselves, greeting others, numbers, nationalities but also the geography and the culture of the country.
Then students had a tour of the University Campus and had lunch on the Campus common ground.
Finally in the afternoon, students practiced Capoeira and Karate with professionals. Students had a very good time and behaved immaculately. They were a real credit to OSCA.

The studying of a Shakespearian play is something that every pupil relishes during their English experience. This past week the OSCA Year 10's have taken it a step further, travelling to Stratford Upon-Avon to fully engage in a spectacular Shakespeare experience. Two trips were run this past week, corresponding with texts studied. The pupils spent the afternoon travelling through time, touring 3 of the Elizabethan houses belonging to the Birthplace of Shakespeare Trust (Shakespeare's Birthplace, Harvard House, and Hall's Croft) as well as Shakespeare's grave!
Pupils had the opportunity to watch and participate in impromptu renditions of famous scenes with trained actors and performed favourite quotes on makeshift platforms in the park. Following a wonderful afternoon pupils attended the evening performances of The Merchant of Venice or Othello.
Enthralled with the productions on stage the pupils were fully engaged and conversations that compared versions of the text and the benefits of live action performances.

After a rigorous selection process we are very pleased and proud to announce the senior prefect team for 2015/16.
Head Girl : Alisha Allen
Head boy: Adam Foster
Deputy Head Girl: Holly Silwood
Deputy Head boy: Amanpreet Singh
Senior Prefects:
Leah Lowe
Saisha Malhi
Sabah Akhtar
Liam Ashcroft
Amit Persuad
Jaden Burrell
Congratulations to all of our students that were a part of the process. Our Senior Prefects are perfect role models of the OSCA ethos of ‘Excellence as Standard’.

Year 10 OSCA students worked with Lauren and Lauren from HumanUtopia for the whole day on Thursday! They explored many issues and aspirations, with highs and lows and hopefully some pretty life changing events! Each and everyone of you did our academy proud!

On Wednesday 6th May 44 Year 7 pupils had the pleasure of visiting the famous Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. They began by having a guided tour of Gough's Cave, where they learned about how it was carved, the formation of stalactites and stalagmites, and got a glimpse of Mr Cheddar the skeleton! After lunch pupils went through Cox's Cave which was like a haunted house full of skulls and ghostly figures. Next up was to climb up the side of the Gorge (some quicker than others!) and ascend Jacob's Ladder to get a fantastic panoramic view of Somerset. They then had some free time to explore the souvenir shops and ice cream parlors before walking up into the Gorge for a quick lesson on how it was formed. Overall a really good day out and we didn't even get wet.

These photos show the pupils arrival at Kingswood Grovesnor Hall where they got to get their hands on some WW1 artefacts including artillery shells, before researching some local soldiers that died during WW1 from Tividale and Oldbury.

Over 50 year 11 pupils visited Warwick Castle yesterday to help support their upcoming Controlled Assessment. They experienced a rather frosty but beautiful tour of the Castle, they had an expert talk on the defensive features at Warwick, they witnessed a real life falconry display and were more than a little spooked during a tour of the castle dungeons. The fun and entertainment aside it gave pupils first hand experience of the castle and a chance to collect data, information and supporting photos to supplement the 2,000 word essay they will soon be writing about Warwick!"

To Kill a Mockingbird trip photos. The students were excellent throughout and really enjoyed the performance. Thank you to Mr Sorby, Miss Cook and Mrs Thompson for supporting yesterday and Mrs Welsh for all her help organising.

We have raised £576 for Children In Need. Well done and big thank you to everyone who made donations for this good cause. A big thanks to Mrs Edmunds, our student helpers, Mrs Makoni, cake makers and sellers, finance staff and of course Pudsey Bear for taking the time to help raise these funds.

On Tuesday 4th November OSCA students embarked on a trip to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studios. They were as usual very well behaved during the trip and were fantastic ambassadors for OSCA.
Thanks to Mrs Ball, Mrs Cooper, Ms Keeling, Mrs Vickers and Mrs Antonini for supporting the trip.

On Thursday 23rd the sports council ran their 1st house activity with year 7 boys football on the astro turf.
The competition was rife and all boys who took part played really well and were helped by spectators from a range of year groups cheering from the sidelines.
The final results are as follows;
1st Picasso - 4 points
2nd Dahl - 3 points
3rd Shakespeare - 2 points
4th Davinci - 1 points
All students who participated will receive extra Vivos with points going towards a house score for the end of term.
The students who participated were:
D Smith
J Boden
J Isaac
A Middlebrook
Ri Blake
A number of prefects also came up and helped with crowd control along with Aurelie Blondeau and Antek Pashkowski who helped to ensure the smooth running of the event.

Pupils in the STEM Club this week participated in a variety of activities where they used the power of fire!
In one of the activities they tested the colour of different metals when heated in a flame. Their second investigation involved how different metals are used in creating sparklers which was quite enlightening. Lastly they created their own secret messages and practised the great art of flame writing.

Students in year 7 at Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy have been given a fantastic opportunity to learn a wind instrument through their normal music lessons. The Academy are working in partnership with Sandwell Music and Arts Service and Yamaha Music UK to pilot the 'Class Band' project. Over the course of year 7 all students in the class will learn an instrument from tubas up to flutes, and work together as an ensemble to perform, improvise and compose on their chosen instrument​. All students have been provided with a brand new Yamaha student instrument, free of charge, as a part of the project.

This year the British Science Festival was held in Birmingham and OSCA was not missing out! On 10th September 2014 26 Year 10 pupils attended a day of events at The University of Birmingham. This included a spectacular session about our favourite superheroes, genes and DNA. Pupils subsequently took part in activities to experience science at work, including building a giant 'jenga' tower in sand, scrubbing up for some trauma surgery and using a computer program to direct various services to areas of incidence in an emergency. Individuals from a variety of professions then spoke to pupils about their career paths and how science related to jobs that the pupils were interested in going into. In the afternoon pupils had the opportunity to view pieces at the famous Barber Institute of Fine Art and consider the relationship between art and science. The day was rounded off by pupils attending a specialist physics talk regarding investigations into other stars and solar systems which may support life - ET may indeed be phoning Earth (rather than home) through the stars! This was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to consider further education, careers in science and even work with pupils from other schools during activities. The pupils' behaviour was excellent and they represented OSCA incredibly well during events. Well done to our super science students.
The Year 11 pupils were not to be outdone! Two teams of four Year 11s represented OSCA in the Big Science Quiz and showed enthusiasm and passion for science and learning throughout the activities!

We started our first week of the STEM Club with a bang! Year 7 and 8 pupils were engaged in activities where they set off chemical reactions of all sizes; some as small as the size of a film canister all the way to a diet coke and mentos geyser! Year 7 and 8 pupils are encouraged to keep exploring science, technologies, engineering and maths every Thursday after school in room S06.

Congratulations year 11- the class of 2014 achieved the best GCSE results ever!
As you may be aware, everything has changed this year in terms of league tables, so comparisons with previous years are complex, but we are delighted with how brilliantly year 11 have dealt with all these changes. They have taken it all in their stride, and still managed to break records! In terms of some headlines, these include:
* 63% of students achieved the new, more rigorous category of 5+ A*-C grades with a maximum of two equivalents. A fantastic achievement
* 48% of students achieved this including English and maths, broadly in line with last year's record breaking results
* Best of all, students achieved the highest ever percentage of 5+ A*-C in the most demanding academic GCSE only category, improving 8% on last year to 43%!
Well done to all our students, families and teachers on all the hard work we put in to achieve these. I am really proud of you all class of 2014!!

The OSCA Mud Runners took in everything that Saturday's weather had to offer. The sun shone down on us allowing us to appreciate the water obstacles; we adjusted quite quickly within the first km starting the obstacle course off with some bale hurdles and a cheeky little 800m swim. The obstacles proved to be both challenging, muddy and refreshing.
The 8 pupils took every obstacle in their stride, working together to help, support and encourage each other - lifting one another over vertical wall climbs, under barbed wire mud crawls, down giant water slides etc.
We are excitedly looking for our next big challenge and any and all new comers are welcome!

The Year 10 pupils participated in SciFest, an event that offered pupils the opportunity to participate in engaging workshops at the University of Wolverhampton. The pupils were exemplary in their behaviour and conduct and great ambassadors for Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy. They designed catapults and used their scientific knowledge to calculate the angle necessary to lay siege upon castles. In another activity they learned about different equipment used by the medical profession and performed various tests on themselves and their peers which included finding a person’s ECG, measuring their lung age and even performing a mock keyhole surgery! They were able to design and build their own model cars to race against one another. One of the groups even set the course record (7.3 metres!) for longest distance travelled by their car. Lastly, the pupils participated in a forensics activity led by an ex forensic analyst for the police department. The pupils showed great enthusiasm and really appreciated being given the opportunity to see how science is used in many different and exciting careers.

29 Year 8 students took part in the Language and Sports Day organised by Birmingham University.
In the morning, students were split into groups and studied either Japanese, Korean or Chinese. They were able to introduce themselves in the language, count at least up to ten, learn about different cultures and traditions and some even created their own Origami!
Students were then given a tour of the University grounds and experienced what life on campus could be like. We then had a picnic on the grass outside of the Arts Building where students got to enjoy the sunshine and meet Year 8 students from other schools.
Finally, in the afternoon, students got to practice either Taekwondo, Karate, Tai Chi or Capoera with an expert and put to use the language leant in the morning session.
All students enjoyed this unique experience which we hope will become a yearly event for Year 8s!

OSCA students have had a safe return and completed the silver expedition, which they have passed. The assessor "was impressed with their organisation skills and mature attitudes",
Paul and Ian from Skill Force said “it was the best expedition ever " “the students worked hard and were a credit to the academy”
The students only need to complete their E books now to achieve the award. They will be completed by the end of term.

It was a highly competitive and fast game played against OSCA year 11 girls but the staff lost 26 – 14. The game and the spirit from both teams was electric and the enthusiasm shown and the atmosphere they created in the gym was fantastic.
The Teams.
OSCA All Stars:
Tamara 'angry bird' Simmons
Siobhan 'the rock' Clegg
Ashlie 'mad girl' Morgan
Caroline 'hopper' Vickers
Sue 'ballerina' Bowron
Gemma 'psycho' Madeley
Rebecca 'move a lot' Maiden
Students:
M Ralph
C Price
G Madeley
M Shaheen
A Shaheen

Year 10 Fashion and Graphics GCSE pupils had a day out at the Bullring in Birmingham to carryout research and buy materials for their coursework. The pupils had a fantastic time and behaved in a mature manner. All pupils are now adding their 'shop reports' to their coursework to reflect their shop experience.

Year 11 students attended a practice for the Duke Of Edinburgh award at Cannock Chase. The final expedition is in two weeks’ time. All students arrived back from the trip safely although a bit soggy. They were a credit to OSCA. They handled the British weather well and after packing wet tents and sleeping bags while being in the middle of a thunder storm and torrential rain, they continued to do the expedition.

On Friday 23rd May Year 10 students visited Royal Holloway to complete their final tutorials and graduate from the Brilliant Club Programme. They had a fantastic opportunity to meet current students at this prestigious university and also receive feedback on their assignments. The students have been a credit to OSCA and their final grades - with many 2:1s and 1sts - represents the hard work and dedication they have shown throughout the programme. The certificate ceremony was a particularly proud moment for us to celebrate their success which we will hope will raise their aspirations for the future.

Year 10 student Liberty Smith, travelled to Lloret De Mar in Spain, to represent Great Britain in the girls under 55kg category, at the Amateur World Kick Boxing Championships on the 30th April. Liberty competed against girls from Germany and America and gained a bronze medal.
Whilst there Liberty was asked to compete in the ladies under 54kg category. She showed no fear in challenging the 21 year olds and gained another bronze medal.
Liberty has been training for 10 years and is looking forward to competing in the European Opens next year.
Liberty’s Mom (Mrs Lisa Smith) said “I’m very proud, Liberty has wanted this for 2 years, she qualified last year but unfortunately had a hip injury and could not go, she was disheartened. Liberty trains for Wayne Stokes in Oldbury and her trainer is the World Champ. Liberty trains five times a week, it’s her life and she can’t wait to go to the European Opens next year. I’m the proudest Mom in Dudley!”
OSCA’s Principal Marie McMahon, said “We are all really proud of Libby and all that she has accomplished so far in her young life. To have won 2 bronze medals in the World Championships is a testament to her hard work and dedication. She is the very embodiment of OSCA’s motto ‘Striving for Excellence’. I am sure she is a superstar of the future in the making!”

7N1 English are taking part in the Carnegie Award during their Library lessons. They are enjoying reading and reviewing the books in groups and will be voting for the final winner. Please check out our shadowing page where the reviews are being posted and photos of the reading group in action.
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/grouphomepages/index.php?GroupID=1025

The year 9 pupils ventured to the NEC to participate in the National Big Bang Fair. Upon arrival all the pupils went to the Mad Lab and were immediately engaged in a hands-on activity where they constructed their own circuits. For all of the pupils it was their first time soldering; they all left the workshop having acquired new skills along with a working circuit board. Pupils were then set to explore all the different stalls ranging from rocket cars to wild life. Each pupil was very well behaved and represented OSCA well. They all left the Big Bang Fair with a new outlook on science, technology and engineering.

On Monday 24th February a group of Year 10 students visited the University of Warwick for the launch of the OSCA Brilliant Club. They were given a tour of the university, met their tutors and learnt more about the Scholars programme.
The students are taking part in an academic access initiative run by the Brilliant Club, an educational charity, which is designed to raise their aspirations, engage them in academic research and equip them with the skills to look to go on to highly selective universities in the future. The programme involves in school small group tutorials with an expert Phd researcher. Two groups will be working on a Literacy project and two further groups on cancer research. They will complete an extended assignment which is marked using university grading and then graduate from the programme on a further university visit.

On Thursday 6th February, 57 Year 11 students had the fantastic opportunity to visit London to see 'The Woman in Black’. This was to support the preparation for their GCSE Literature Exam. Students enjoyed exploring Covent Garden and then watching the play, which proved to be frightening for some! The students represented the Academy with pride and enthusiasm throughout the day.

OSCA Muddy Racers travelled down to Essex Saturday morning. With a high temperature of 7 degrees, eight pupils and four members of staff set out from the school at 9am.
Overcast and with winds recorded up to 40km/hour, we experienced everything from icy sharp pellets of rain to a short lived appearance of sunshine.
OSCA Students were incredibly well behaved as they motivated and supported each other over and through obstacles. Whether it was giving each other boosts over the eight foot wall or encouraging one another to keep going when the muddy waters reached up past their waists.

OSCA Mud Running team has hit phase two of our training. With our competition date quickly approaching we have sought out expert help to ensure that we are fit and ready for the 9 challenges that await us.
One of which happens to be archery.
Our small team headed to CompleteKidz to learn all about archery.
Our students did great! They were amazing sportsmen and soaked up every last bit of instruction.
It was an excellent opportunity that we all enjoyed.

OSCA Students took part in a KS4 house football tournament on the 14th January at the new Portway Sports Centre. The pupils taking part really enjoyed the experience and represented OSCA extremely well. Congratulations to Dahl who won the tournament. Picasso and Shakespeare houses came joint second place with DaVinci finishing fourth.

Twenty-five students represented OSCA at The Clothes Show - this is the seventh year running we have conducted this trip. Our students had the opportunity to see a live catwalk performance and get a real insight to the world of fashion and retail. Students also had the chance to visit and speak with college and university students who were displaying their fashion/textiles work on stands. It gave students the opportunity to see what courses are on offer for further educational routes in fashion and textiles. Students’ behaviour and attitude were exemplary, and they represented the Academy with pride. A great day had by all!

Black History Month has been celebrated every October in the UK for over 35 years. The month is aimed at making people more aware and educating them about Black History.
This year the Drama department in partnership with Ade Marsh Photography celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Martin Luther King Speech ‘I have a dream’ by writing the OSCA dream. Year 11 Btec Drama students, wrote the speech and depicted the words through freeze frames; Ade Marsh captured the images and they will be displayed in a photography exhibition in the New Year.
The students involved were:
S Amoah,
M Ashmore,
O Barker,
D Bekierz,
C Brown,
R Corry,
S Edmonds,
S Harrison,
B Hussain,
A Kalsi,
M Munzvengwa,
L Phillips,
R Usman,
M Rashid,
A Sandhu and
J Stevenson.

As part of our Transition Programme, we invited our feeder primary staff to OSCA to meet with their former year 6 cohorts. The aim was to allow the year 7 students to share what they have achieved in their first term with us.
On the 7th and 8th November, we welcomed Mr Forman from Tividale Hall Primary, Mrs Ostrowska and Mr Marks from Rounds Green and Mrs Dosanj and Ms Fowler from Tividale Community to enjoy tea and cake with our students.
Year 7 came with books, projects and pictures and were very excited to share their learning. Our visitors were thrilled to see our Year 7’s and enjoyed viewing their work and talking about life at OSCA.
The events were a great success and a huge thank you must go to the year 7 students and Ms Makoni for providing such delicious homemade cakes.

London trip was for Year 9 Fashion and Science and Year 10 Graphics.
The pupils represented OSCA with exemplary behaviour and conducted themselves in a mature and responsible manner at all times.
If you would like to see the Graphics group on their exploits at Hamleys toystore and around London